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You may know Raph from his excellent work on BT Sport where he shares his knowledge of the European game and we're hoping he can make some of that know-how pay for us on MrFixitsTips. Best of luck Raphael!
Cologne v Werder Bremen (Sun, 12.30pm)
The two sides who have made the worst starts to the Bundesliga season collide in Cologne on Sunday with both the hosts and Werder Bremen still looking for their first wins of the season.
The outlook looks that little bit bleaker for Cologne who, since winning their first round DFB-Cup game in August have lost 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions.
The latest defeat in that sequence came on Thursday night away in Belarus as BATE Borisov beat them 1-0. Had it not been for some negligent finishing the defeat would have been heavier too.
So then to Werder Bremen, who are within tantalising touching distance of Cologne, at least when it comes to points, ahead of this weekend’s encounter.
They’ve taken four points from their first eight games and like Cologne have only scored three goals this season.
Yet unlike their opponents on Sunday, who look set to stick with coach Peter Stöger no matter what happens this season, Werder coach Alexander Nouri is under big pressure.
A defeat in Sunday’s six-pointer could end his reign in charge at the club so he can hardly afford another tepid display like there was against Gladbach.
What's worse for Nouri is Claudio Pizarro could be set to start up front for Cologne having not been given a new deal by Nouri and Bremen in the summer.
This was a seven-goal thriller only back in April as both sides were gunning for a European place. Even if both are badly lacking in confidence at present, expect a couple of goals in Cologne on Sunday.
Raphael's Tips
- Cologne 2, Werder Bremen 1 (17-2, Unibet)
- Pizarro to score first (17-2, Unibet)
- Over 2.5 goals (1-1, Unibet)
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and others. He’s a regular pundit on BT Sport’s European Football Show and the author of “Englischer Fussball: A German View of Our Beautiful Game”. His favourite food is Schnitzel, predictably.
